


Nature Drunk & High

by RonRos47



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-05
Updated: 2019-08-05
Packaged: 2020-08-09 20:24:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20123263
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RonRos47/pseuds/RonRos47
Summary: What started out as a solo planned trip turns into something more enjoyable as Alex and Kelly spend time at Yellowstone National Park





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Day 7. #DansenFicWeek
> 
> 'Ditto'
> 
> 1st: I'd like to thank @DansenFic from Twitter for setting this all up. It has been one hell of a week and I've loved every moment of it. The prompts that were created were so much fun and it was very cool to have a whole week devoted to my newest fandom of Alex and Kelly. I really can't wait (and hope) for more of these in the future.
> 
> 2nd: Thanks to all of you who have read my stories, left kudos, and have commented. It's great to see others enjoy the same fandom and it's been great to read such amazing stories as well. 
> 
> 3rd: I want to thank Alex and Kelly. When I was trying to think of what to write for this 'ditto' fic it didn't take long. I just thought of them, a road trip came to mind and every time I tried to think of a place it all just kept coming down to Yellowstone. It's as if they were the ones who were telling me where to go. After that the rest of the story fell into place. It was as if they were the ones telling me the story and not the other way around. I've always believed that when something like that happens then you have a special story. So ultimately I didn't have to do anything except type and get some of the specifics but they were the ones who were truly in control of the whole thing.
> 
> 4th: This final piece for the project is one I consider my "season finale" so I have only stuck with writing one this time. Personally out of all the ones I've written this is by far my favorite so writing a second one just didn't feel right and it didn't feel as if anything could top this one. (I honestly doubt any future fic I write will. That's how much I personally loved it.)
> 
> 5th: If you don't read the whole thing I'll understand. This is the longest fic I've written for any fandom.
> 
> 6th: Enjoy the ride!

[ON THE ROAD:]

“You good to go,” Kelly asked as Alex was placing the last of the supplies in Kelly’s expedition.

The two had driven three hours to Midvale to pick up Alex’s camping gear. While there it was the first time Kelly was meeting Eliza.

“All set,” said Alex.

Eliza placed a kiss on Alex’s cheek and said, “Have fun and be safe.”

Alex smiled, “We will.”

“Kelly,” said Eliza, “It was a pleasure to meet you.”

“You too, Mrs. Danvers.”

“It is okay to call me, Eliza you know.”

“I know, just out of habit I guess.”

“Well a very good one.”

Kelly nodded to Eliza and then tossed Alex the keys, “You’re driving.”

“You sure, it’s your truck.”

“You know the way better than I do.”

Alex took the keys and once they got in the car Alex started the ignition. Kelly turned on the first track, “Hard Sun” by Eddie Vedder from the ‘Into the Wild’ soundtrack. It wasn’t their typical kind of music but it fit their situation. 

The movie ‘Into the Wild’ had been based on a book by Jon Krakauer of the same title and it told the story of Christopher McCandless who had gone off the grid and found himself living in a bus in Alaska back in the early nineties. Chris unfortunately did not last long, his body found a few months later. Sean Penn took over the rights to the book and directed a movie for it.

Depending on their speed the trip would take about over two days making for a close to fifteen hour drive. They would be gone for three weeks, a trip both of their bosses had approved since they’d never used their vacation days. Kelly held on to Alex’s hand and smiled. This was their first road trip together and it would be a great one as it was a trip to Yellowstone National Park. Both had been when they were kids but that had been a lifetime ago. As adults this one they would be sure to remember.

They would take the I-80 to Hwy 93 to Hwy74 which cut to I-84 then I-86 and became I-15 which became Hwy 20 all the way through, passing through Nevada and Idaho to the tip of Montana until they hit Hwy 191 which would lead them into the west entrance of Yellowstone.

Their drive would take additional miles until they reached their destination at a campsite at Tower Falls. The location was somewhat isolated. It was in between the North and Northeast entrances of the park. The main attraction, Old Faithful, was out towards the West entrance.

Alex had had this trip planned for nearly a year in advance long before Kelly had entered the picture. It was a lone trip she’d wanted to take after her breakup with Maggie. Her plans had changed the moment she kissed Kelly for the first time. Suddenly she no longer saw a solo trip but only if their relationship progressed and lasted. If it hadn’t then she was more than okay with going on her own. Their relationship had made it to three months when Alex genuinely wanted her to come along, perfect timing too given the day she was supposed to arrive at the park and check in. Kelly was more than happy to go and Alex was happy that she would be able to enjoy the trip with someone.

*****

[DAY 1:]

After two days of taking turns driving and then the additional time driving into the park to make it to where they needed to be they finally reached the campsite at Tower Falls. The park was open space with luscious trees. They were at site number fifteen which was perfect. Site fourteen was nearby but site sixteen was about a yard or so away.  
It didn’t take them long to set up their tent along with pads, sleeping bags, pillows and extra blankets.

With some daylight left they decided to take in some of the sights. Tower Falls wasn’t that far from the campground, just on the other side of the highway basically. The overlook was a one hundred fifty yard hiking trail. Once they reached it their eyes glowed at how magnificent it was. Rocks surrounded it and the waterfall dropped sharply down the middle, a rainbow curved at its base.

After spending a good hour they finally made the one hundred fifty yard trek back. By the time they’d gotten to their site, which would be home for the next month, the sun had begun to set. The light glistened from in between the trees.

Come night they got in their bags with a battery operated light hanging from the top.

“So do we have a plan for tomorrow,” asked Kelly.

“No, no plan,” Alex replied, “Whatever time we wake up is fine.”

“Good because I’m exhausted.”

“Me too.”

“ ‘Night, Alex.”

“ ‘Night, Kell,” she said turning out the light.

*****

[DAY 2:]

It was eight thirty in the morning when the girls woke up and nine when they were finally ready to go. The first stop they made was a small hike to the Petrified Tree, a tree part of a petrified forest which had been created fifty million years ago due to fallen ash. While at the tree there was a descent pathway where they could hike for a bit which they did.  
Given the length of the trip they made sure they gave themselves time to hike a couple of trails, their day packs filled with a few snacks and plenty of water.

By midafternoon they had driven to the small town, village really, known as Historic Yellowstone. There they were able to see the famed Mammoth Hot Springs, terraces of white travertine, or limestone deposits, where water ran down the steps into various pools. There were walkways so Alex and Kelly took them. After touring the upper and lower terraces they spent time in the village until close to sundown when they would have to head back to the camp. They took their time. Even though it wasn’t a long drive there were a lot of turns and they needed to be cautious with what animals might cross in front of them.

“Okay,” Alex said as they sat on their reclining chairs with a couple of lanterns on the picnic table, “We’re getting up at two.”

“Why so early?”

Alex smiled in the dim light, “Wolf watching. I figure with the speed it’ll take us about an hour to reach the Lamar Valley. It’s usually a great place for spotting.”

“So what, people usually just sit around and wait?”

“Pretty much. If we do get there by three we can stay until seven.”

“Oh so just four hours,” Kelly said with a smile.

“Well we could always stay longer. Some people usually spend all day wolf watching. I’m totally game for that.”

Kelly laughed,, “No I’m good. Four hours sounds perfect and at least it’ll give us the rest of the day to do other things.”

“Are there any places you want to go?”

“Got a map?”

“It’s in the car. I’ll be right back.”

Alex returned and placed the map on the picnic table near the lanterns.

“What about Mt. Washburn,” Kelly said pointing at a location. “I’d bet there would be some good hiking trails. What do you say, Alex, you up for more hiking?”

“Always.”

Alex went back and got another map that detailed various trails. She’d also brought with her a plastic notebook that held details of the various trails from a Yellowstone trails website which she’d put in sheet protectors and sectioned them off by tabs.

“Wow, just how prepared are you?”

“Are you kidding I’ve had this trip planned for nearly a year.”

She flipped to the tab for day hikes. “Here it is,” she said. “There’s a trail that’s a six point four mile hike round trip.”

“Sounds great then.”

*****

[DAY 3:] 

The next morning as planned they woke up a little before two so they would have time to get ready and hit the road at two oh one. When they arrived at Lamar Valley there were already a couple of cars parked nearby. Alex and Kelly parked next to them. They all exchanged pleasantries.

Deeply hidden in the back of the track in a sturdy case Alex pulled out her Celestron Regal M2 80ED spotting scope. She and Kelly also pulled out their Nikon Coolpix p900 cameras.

They found a spot on a hill a yard away from the people as to not overcrowd them. Kelly set up a couple of light chairs while Alex worked on setting up the scope to the tripod.  
For a long while there was silence until around four eighteen when faint howls began to be heard. About fifteen minutes later, four thirty-three, some wolves began to appear. Whispers spread in the small group. Alex looked through the scope. The wolves were two hundred yards out but clearly visible. Kelly was taking pictures and then they swapped places.

“Wow,” Kelly said softly.

“That’s incredible right?”

“It’s definitely something.”

The two stayed for another three hours enjoying the wolves along with the buffalo that had begun to make their way into the valley. By then the wolves had inched in and gotten closer to the buffalo, they were now less than a hundred yards away from the watchers.

“You sure you want to go,” Alex said feeling hopeful.

“No, I guess we can stay for a little while.”

Alex smiled. In less than half an hour the chase began. Everyone spoke softly but they were excited. As earlier Alex and Kelly alternated between the spotting scope and taking pictures, sometimes neither, just watching the hunt. It was beautiful to watch as the pack each played a role in getting between the buffalo to separate the calf from its mother which they managed to do until they finally took down the calf. They could hear the wolves and hear the scream of the infant.

By the end of the wolves feast Alex and Kelly began to pack up their gear. They sat in the truck in silence for a moment as they went over what they had just been witness to. It truly was a sight to beheld. Nature at its finest, a true circle of life. While it had been hard to watch as the calf lost its life it had also been interesting to see.  
Once their initial shock was over the two smiled and got excited as they drove off.

“Oh my god, can you believe that just happened!” Kelly said.

“I know right. That was incredible.”

“I’ve never seen anything like it except on those documentaries you know.”

“Yeah. And the beginning back when they first started, the finesse of it you know it was just-,” Alex couldn’t put into words what it had been like. 

“The feeling of watching it was truly incredible. So do you think anything will top this?”

“I kind of hope not. I can’t even begin to describe what I’m feeling right now.”

“Ditto.”

*****

Reaching an elevation of 10,243 feet Alex and Kelly finally made it to the top of Mt. Washburn. The view was something to beheld. Trees lined the side of the mountain and tree lines could be seen for miles. The top was rocky and surrounded by a stacked rock barrier. They stayed for a good half hour before making their way down where they passed a few bighorn sheep.

When Alex and Kelly reached the car neither of them were tired but they were grateful for the rest.

From Mt. Washburn they made their way south toward Canyon Village where they stopped for a break. There were a few trails but they would tackle them later. For now they wanted to check out the Upper and Lower Falls.

At the Lower Falls they took in the breathtaking view of what was also known as the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone and named rightly so. Trees lined the top ridge above steep cliffs of rhyolite that were of dark oranges and browns. Towards the far end was the fall itself which traversed into a river that ran between the canyon walls.

The Upper Falls was a smaller waterfall where a river ran above it. Unlike the Lower Falls, the Upper Falls was surrounded by tall Trees. The sunlight created shadows from the trees and made the waterfall glide down like the whiteness of a cloud into a light green pool.

To cap off the day they spent it in the Hayden Valley. It was too hot in the day even by mid-afternoon to spot wolves where some dens were said to be located over three hundred yards out but if you were lucky you might see a grizzly or two. The valley was an openness of grasslands with trees at the forefront and a river that snaked out for miles. Further out were various groves of trees just below the mountain line.

Every now and then they would talk to various people who made suggestions as to where to go or they would make conversation as to where each other came from.

The couple stayed until sunset where they were greeted with an unbelievable sight of light orange clouds near a dark purple sky, both of which bounced off the river giving it a glistening glow.

“It’s an indescribable feeling isn’t it,” Alex whispered not wanting to break the silence but feeling the need to talk to Kelly about it.

Neither of them had planned on staying as long as they did.

“It’s incredible,” Kelly replied. How are you supposed to describe something like this?”

“I don’t think you can.”

“Sure beats home though doesn’t it? To think something like this exists is crazy.”

The two remained silent shortly after and once the sun had gone down completely they made their way back to camp. The drive was long given all the turns and the slow speed limit, slower actually as to not run into any wildlife that might be crossing. It was nearly ten when they got back, the drive having taken over an hour.

*****

[DAY 4:]

The following day the girls continued pushing their way south. They didn’t plan any hiking trips. Not too far from their location near Hayden Valley was the Sulphur Caldron which ranged in various pools of boiling hot water with steam billowing and not too far from that was the area of mud volcanoes. There was a pathway that led them down. The one that Alex found the most fascinating was one known as Dragon’s Mouth. It was a cave with gray murky water and coming from the cave was smoke. The splashing could be heard against its inner walls as a deep roaring came from it hence its name. There might as well have been a real dragon inside. With all that she had seen, Alex wouldn’t have really been surprised.

They continued to make their way driving and into Lake Village where they stopped for a break and took a look at Yellowstone Lake. They didn’t stay long as they were headed to West Thumb where they found the geyser basin. A walkway circled the pool of light teal waters as well as other pools, many of them ranging in temperatures of one hundred sixty seven degrees Fahrenheit.

Once they finished at West Thumb, rather than continuing south they headed west. At Craig Pass they reached a sign that said “Continental Divide Elevation 8,262.” They had already climbed to an elevation of 10,243 feet but just passing through the continental divide was special as it divided the Pacific to the Atlantic. 

In the direction they were headed was Old Faithful. While it would be great to see it they weren’t in a rush, they had plenty of time and not just for Old Faithful but for all of it so for now they made their way to the Lonestar Geyser. The hike was roughly five miles so they figured why not.

When they finally reached it they saw that it resembled the base of a melted candle. The two stopped to take a few pictures and stayed for a while. Not much activity was going on except for the steam from the top.

They wouldn’t make it to Old Faithful today so their final stop was the Kepler Cascades, a place surrounded by trees and rocks where water ran down a small steep cliff.

By day’s end they made it back home roughly fifteen minutes after sunset.

“Today was great,” said Kelly.

“It was. It was simple. I enjoyed it.”

“Me too. So Old Faithful tomorrow?”

“Sure. We’ll leave around eight and go straight on through, no stops.”

Kelly shook her head, “You just had to pick a location that was far away from everything didn’t you?”

Alex shrugged, “Less people out here and it’s closer to Lamar. I figure we’ll get in some more wolf watching at some point.”

Kelly smiled, “And some more alone time I get to spend with you.”

“Ditto,” Alex said as she smiled.

The two leaned in for a light kiss.

“Ready to go inside?”

“Yeah.”

Once inside the tent and inside their sleeping bags they said their goodnights and drifted off to sleep.

*****

[DAY 5:]  
Alex and Kelly hit the road by eight and did the drive all the way through as planned. Before they could even make it to Old Faithful they got stuck in traffic for an hour due to a buffalo jam in which a herd of buffalo was blocking the road. Sometimes it slowed down traffic and other times it stopped traffic completely. Today was the latter. What would have taken an hour and a half ended up taking two and a half hours.

Finding a parking spot the two took their time walking around. They figured their first stop would be the visitor center. It was a little too touristy for their liking but since they would be spending the day they might as well look around at everything. There at the welcome station stood a six foot park ranger behind the counter. He was dark skinned with long gray hair, a look that clearly stood out among all others. 

Once he was done with other visitors Alex and Kelly went up to him and talked for a bit. The ranger told them he would be doing a guided walk around two in the afternoon which would be half an hour after the Old Faithful geyser erupted which was scheduled to go off at one thirty two.. This gave them time to pick up a couple of sandwiches and find a place on the benches in front of the geyser. By the scheduled time a large group had formed around them. Alex and Kelly were grateful for their seats. They wouldn’t have mind standing but the seats were just as good.

The roaring began and then the hiccupping where small little bursts of water would explode until finally it exploded with life. It was short in height but soon reached a height of one hundred fifty two feet. The crowd oh’d and ah’d and cheered. Kelly and Alex were more of the cheering types as the talked to each other about the wonder of it while clapping.  
After the spectacle was over the couple decided to spend the next half hour inside Old Faithful Inn while they waited for the ranger. The inn was a three story cabinlike building with a gift shop, dining hall, cabin rooms, and a large rock fireplace where they found a couple of seats around it. Normally they were okay going out and discovering things on their own but they were curious as to what the ranger had to say.

The tour didn’t take long as the expected. It was just a circled walk on the pathway that went around Old Faithful. There were some other smaller geysers which were cool. The ranger did a nice job and they did have to pause as there was a buffalo on the board walk. The ranger was very calm during the ordeal and was even good at keeping his visitors calm. He did have to raise his voice to some of them, visitors who wanted a closer view to take better selfies but they listened to him given his harsh tone. Kelly wondered if the man was a teacher in his everyday life if he must have been a really good one. The ordeal lasted for ten minutes until the buffalo finally moved on.

“You up for another hike?” Alex asked.

“Sure what did you have in mind?”

“There’s a mile hike just at the top called Observation Point.”

“Let’s do it.”

Before heading up they reached for the water in their packs and took a couple of sips.

“Impressive,” said Kelly once they got up to the top.

“It sure is.”

Their view consisted of trees which led out to the center of Old Faithful. It was billowing with steam. Behind it was the village and beyond that was a vast forest of trees. Once they got back to the ground they decided it was time to head back to camp.

It was a little past three in the afternoon and it would take them over an hour to get back if there weren’t any delays.

“So another hike tomorrow,” asked Kelly.

“Yeah you bet. I know about this really good one called the Lava Creek Trail. It’s eight miles. We’ll have to leave early though since it gets really hot during the day.”

“Okay. What time did you have in mind?”

“Around four? It’ll take us an hour to get to Mammoth since that’s where the trail is located.”

“Okay yeah that sounds good.”

[DAY 6:]

The following morning Alex and Kelly were ready to go. They had their packs, snacks, water, and hiking poles. They arrived at Mammoth with ease and from there they located the trail head. The sun had yet to rise so their timing was perfect.

The hike was nothing more than beautiful. They hiked around some brown brush and some forest. They would occasionally stop to take pictures. They ran into a few elk, some bulls but most females. They came across a suspension bridge which ran a yard or less across a river. The sun had already risen and continued to get hotter. Alex and Kelly were glad they had decided to go early. It saved them extra time and less time in the heat. Eventually they made it to a waterfall known as Undine Falls. A river flowed at its base and shortly above was the fall. Across from where they stood was a section of green grass with dead trees spewed at an angle. It looked as if they had been purposefully glued on. The two stood for a while, standing in silence, letting the sounds of the water overtake them. They began talking shortly after as they made their way back by early afternoon.  
With time on their hands they decided to go up to the North Entrance which was a roughly five mile drive from Mammoth and toward the town of Gardiner. They passed through the famed Roosevelt Arch which was designed in the early nineteen hundreds. Above the arch was an inscription, “For the Benefit and Enjoyment of the People”. Like many, Alex and Kelly took pictures beside and under it. They walked around town and reminded themselves to take a rafting trip before their trip was over.

Alex and Kelly reached camp a little before five which was perfectly fine as it provided them with some time to simply hang out.

“Thanks,” Alex said as Kelly handed her a beer. “So honestly,” and I know we’ve only been here for five days but how are you liking this so far?”

“Honestly,” Kelly said as she uncapped her bottle, took a swig, and then took a seat next to Alex, “It’s been a blast. We haven’t been here that long and we’re just getting started but it’s been great plus it’s nice to get away from the city you know?”

“Tell me about it. I love my job but it’s nice to take a break. No aliens, no metas, no martial law. It’s nice to finally be able to breath and get high off something normal.”  
“Have you ever gotten that chance?”

Alex laughed, “Ha, I wish. I mean I know I complain a lot about not wanting to take a vacation but it’s different when you do. I don’t know I guess I needed it more than I thought.”  
“And yet you planned this out a year in advance, why? I mean you didn’t have to. You must have known that by coming here you wouldn’t have to face your job or anything like that. You could have chosen a place anywhere, a place closer to home but instead you chose a place over a thousand miles away.”

Alex thought it over. She could have chosen something closer to home, that was true, there was getting away from her pain of losing Maggie at the beginning but she wasn’t going to tell Kelly and plus that reason had been from a year ago. It was irrelevant now. And now being here with Kelly, that felt more right than anything had in a very long time.  
“I don’t know I guess I wanted to know what it felt like to be normal. I’ve been watching people and this is what’s normal for them. We might as well be on another earth or something.”

“Sounds like you know what that’s like.”

“Two in fact, one I don’t recommend but back to the point my whole life has been nothing but different. I’ve known Superman my entire life because my parents were the ones to help him understand his powers and then Kara literally dropped from the sky and came to live with us so having Supergirl as my sister plus my job, there’s never been a normal thing in my life. I love my life don’t get me wrong and I wouldn’t change it but all of this makes me realize you don’t have to have powers or any of that to see just how powerful and how special this world really is. The ground is literally shaking beneath our feet and it has nothing to do with aliens or metas or high powered weapons or whatever else. It exists for a reason no other than its own.” Alex shook her head, “Look at me, this place is making me soft and contemplative and we’ve only been here less than a week.”  
“It’s not making you soft. In the time I’ve known you, you’ve been, you are a badass but you’re also soft. I’ve seen how you are with Kara, how you are with me, your friends, all of it and you do wear your heart on your sleeve and that’s not a bad thing. And you’re right about this place. There’s something so captivating about it that just draws you in. It gives you that sense of being drunk and heigh without the need of alcohol or drugs or whatever.”

Alex set aside her beer, “Nature drunk and high.”

Kelly smiled, “Like the song,” she said as she recalled the song ‘Setting Forth’ by Eddie Vedder from the Into the Wild soundtrack which they’d listened to several times over, the whole album in fact. It wasn’t exactly their kind of music but they’d read the book and seen the movie so it only seemed like appropriate travel music.

Alex and Kelly began to sing the song aloud having the lyrics memorized.

‘Be it no concern, point of no return. Go forward in reverse. This I will recall, every time I fall. I’m free. Setting forth in the universe. Oh I’m free. Setting forth in the universe. Out here realigned, a planet out of sight. Nature drunk and high. Oh I’m free. I’m free.’

The girls laughed as they enjoyed the song. They weren’t even drunk, they’d only taken a sip of their beers each. They were just simply having fun.

“Thank you for trusting me with all of this,” Kelly said seriously.

Alex nodded, “Come on we should get some sleep.”

*****

[DAY 7:]

The next morning there was no plan so the girls got up around seven, made breakfast in the firepit and made sure not to leave any food lying around due to the bears. They decided to head northeast. Not having a plan this time they took the time to view various peaks, looking at them through binoculars, taking pictures and the like. They stopped at Barronette Peak, a mountain with a height of ten thousand four hundred four feet. 

The next peak they reached stood at a height of ten thousand nine hundred twenty eight feet known as the Abiathar Peak. There was a hiking trail nearby at Pebble Creek which was about ten miles. They made a note of it in case they had the time.

Next they made their way down to Norris which was just west of Canyon Village. They stopped at the Norris Geyser Basin. They had done so many hikes already that they had not stopped to smell the Sulphur, literally. The whole walk was over a mile long. Most of the eruptions that came from one known as Steamboat Geyser usually hit forty feet but it was said it could reach up to over three fifty. They didn’t get a chance to see it erupt however at exactly the right time, when Alex and Kelly had checked at the museum they had arrived just in time to watch the Echinus Geyser go off.

They continued to view the various geysers when they came across a spring named Emerald Spring, which was a bubbling green pool.

On their way back they stopped at the museum once more where they were told a talk would be given about the Native Americans that used to roam the area. The talk would be over at Canyon at eight if they were interested which they were. The talk would also be given by the well known Hispanic Ranger with the long gray hair that they’d met at Old Faithful.

Alex and Kelly made their way to the Artist Pain Pots which was a trail that was a mile. There were various mud pots and hot springs. 

The next spot the girls explored was Monument Geyser Basin, a near three mile hike which was said most visitors did not go to as there was no direct boardwalk which suited them just fine. 

They passed the Gibbon River, overlooked Gibbon Meadows, when they finally came to white bleached rocks, some with steam vents and easily over six feet tall. There were a couple of men but they were on their way back so Alex and Kelly had the place to themselves. They stood in silence with nothing but the sound of the steam vents and birds chirping.

“Hey, Alex, look at that,” Kelly said as she was looking up and pointed.

Alex looked up as well and above them a bald eagle was soaring. Alex thought about taking a picture but she wanted to be lost in the moment. She was sure they’d get a chance to see more bald eagles. For now she simply wanted to exist and let the strong feelings she had taken hold almost as if she were flying too and without her sister’s help.

After an hour spent they made their way back. With a few hours left they decided to hang out at the Virginia Cascades. They found a bench nearby. They hung out for less than an hour or so which left them time to walk around Canyon Village and then get a couple of seats when it was time for the lecture. Already people began to filter in so Alex and Kelly found a couple of seats near the back row, far left.

The lecture began on schedule. The Ranger talked about past tribes of the area. He talked about a tribe known as the Nez Perce and how they had been tracked down by the U.S. Army in the late nineteenth century from what had become the west entrance. He talked of the tribe known as the Sheep Eaters. They were named for eating the bighorn sheep in the area and used their bodies for a multitude of reasons. There was a cliff located between Mammoth and Norris called Sheep Eater Cliff. The couple made sure it was on their list of places to visit. The ranger then mentioned other tribes that had a history centered around the Yellowstone region. Others such as Crow, Blackfeet, Kiowa, Comanche, various bands of Sioux and those were just a few. 

Near the end of his lecture the Ranger pulled out a flute and played. Alex was rapt. Though the Ranger claimed to be Hispanic, even had a Hispanic name, it was hard to believe. He seemed more Native American than he did Hispanic.

She wasn’t the only one who thought this. By lecture’s end he opened it up to a Q and A. The first question that was asked, one many were clearly thinking, and one he was clearly expecting was what tribe he was from.

He answered that he was half Apache and even showed a slide with his heritage and DNA results to back up his claim. People were captivated by him. Not just of who he was or what he was but of how well his lecture had gone too.

Alex and Kelly were among those who thanked him and spoke to him after so by the time they got back to camp it was close to eleven due to the slow speed. They made a plan to head out toward Fishing Bridge the next days and make their way to seeing the sights out toward the east entrance.

[DAY 8:]

It was crazy to think that today would mark day eight of their trip. They had already done so much and yet so little. Had today been their last day that would have only given them time to do local things and then get back before sunset to begin packing and head out tomorrow. One week just wasn’t enough so Alex and Kelly were grateful for the two weeks.   
Their drives were not without their occasional buffalo jams or even bear jams. People would catch sight of a bear, mostly black bears, and the traffic would come to a stop. People would take pictures and Alex and Kelly were no different. Some people however would get too close to the bears or even the buffalo which was frowned upon. All animals were unpredictable. People had been gorged or attacked, rarely but it happened.

The girls kept things simple today at first by making their way around Mammoth, making their way toward Norris but not before stopping at Sheep Eater Cliff, the cliff that the Ranger had mentioned last night. The cliff consisted of large rocks at its base and then rose up to monoliths that were connected to each other in columnar form. A few marmots and squirrels would peek out every now and then.

After their short time at the cliffs they headed south past Madison. 

In between the lower and midway geyser basins was Grand Prismatic Spring. Alex and Kelly had seen pictures of it. In aerial shots a tiny pathway could be seen offering the viewer only less than a fraction of what it actually was. It was an almost roundish pool. From the inner were various colors of blues and then spread out to greens and yellows. Those colors then made way to dark reds, almost maroon like, until they hit deep oranges. From there arms sprouted outs like flares from the sun or like lava spreading out in all directions. To see a picture of it from above was a spectacular sight but to see it down from below offered a different perspective. It was flat with various river like views and the colors didn’t do it justice.

Alex and Maggie managed to find a five mile hiking trail nearby so they took it to a place called Fairy Falls. 

Walking through they stopped where they could see a picturesque view of Grand Prismatic Spring. It was a completely different perspective. Trees led downward and circling the spring you could barely make out the people on the boardwalk. They looked like ants around a tree if even that. Like others Alex and Kelly took pictures and people passing by offered to take pictures of them too. Once done with the spring they continued to make their way until alas they reached Fairy Falls. It was circled with a couple of trees, broken ones to and from the top to the base was a waterfall that had a straight drop off into a pool less than two feet high. The fall itself ran up to two hundred feet give or take. Many people hung around. Alex and Kelly did too. Then they went a mile or so further where they descended upon the Imperial Geyser. A geyser near a light blue pool and deep yellow sediment in which the geyser was active.

As the two began making their way back they were stopped near a small group of people. A buffalo was in the way. The Ranger from last night was guiding a tour and like before he told his group to remain still and remain calm. A couple kids were crying and their parents did what they could to hush them up. It took another fifteen minutes before the buffalo finally left. Like others Alex and Kelly were impressed with how the Ranger conducted himself.

“This happens a lot around here doesn’t it,” Alex asked the Ranger.

“More than you’d think.”

“Well,” said Kelly, “you’re really good at this.”

“Thanks. I’ve got a group here but I’ll be at the center later this afternoon if you’d like to talk more.”

“That would be great,” said Alex, “Thank you.”

The Ranger nodded and led his group.

Up next Alex and Kelly did Biscuit Basin and Black Sand Basin. At Black Sand Basin there was a walk that took roughly thirty minutes.

Their next stop as it was getting to be midafternoon was Old Faithful. They had already seen it but no one could ever see it just once. They continued to walk around the little village and then headed into the visitor center where sure enough they found the Ranger at the main desk.

“We just wanted to thank you,” said Kelly. “You’ve been great.”

“So I take it you’re having a good time,” said The Ranger.

“We are. It’s not every day we get the chance to do something like this,” Alex said. “I’m Alex, this is my girlfriend Kelly.”

“Hi,” he said reaching out his hand to them. He told them his name and he didn’t seem bothered by the fact that they were girlfriends. “Where are you from,” he asked.

“National City.”

“That’s in California right?”

“Yeah,” said Kelly. “Not many people know that.”

The Ranger shrugged, “My daughter talks about it all the time. Wishes she could move there sometimes I think.”

“Not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing,” said Kelly.

Alex smiled, “National City can get pretty intense sometimes.”

“She’d be able to handle it I think but you know it’s just one of those dreams. How long are you planning to stay?”

“Two weeks.” said Alex. 

“Good, that’s good. Hard to get things done around here with just a few days or even a week.”

“We can see why. So how long have you been doing it?”

“This is my seventh season. I’m out here about half the year from home.”

“And your family doesn’t mind it?” asked Kelly.

“It can get hard sure but they’re supportive. They know how much I love this kind of thing. I used to be a teacher back home but now I can be a teacher on a grander scale.”

“Use to be,” asked Alex.

“Retired,” he said. “Taught seventh grade science.”

“So teaching and science are still kind of your thing up here,” Alex.

“Pretty much.”

Kelly smiled at him, “Well we won’t keep you any longer. We’re sure you’re pretty busy. Thanks again,” she said shaking his hand. Alex did the same.

“Have fun the rest of your stay.”

“Thanks,” said Alex as they made their way. Once they were done they saw other people go up to the Ranger as well. He seemed to certainly be well known. 

The two spent the rest of the afternoon in Old Faithful, watching the geyser go off again. They had dinner at the lodge and ice cream on the terrace. 

They decided to stay until sunset and they were glad they did. Part of the sky was a variety of bright oranges on the bottom followed by a dark orange on top and above that were various shades of purple. The steam from the geysers lined the background while Old Faithful erupted once more. It was a sight like no other and one that Kelly and Alex made sure to take pictures of.

Getting back home took about two and a half hours. They took the way of West Thumb up to Fishing Bridge up through Canyon until they finally reached their camp spot at Tower-Roosevelt.

[DAY 9:]

The day didn’t leave the girls much time for sleep. They woke up at two in the morning and made the short but slow drive to Lamar Valley. Today was going to be a simple one. A good half day of wolf watching. It was a calmer day than usual but they found that to be a good thing. It was nice to stop life for a while and just enjoy the peacefulness of it all. The final part of the day would be spent down in Hayden Valley.

A few wolf watchers were already set up when Alex and Kelly arrived. They all nodded to each other and said their good mornings. The couple set up alongside of them. 

“Any action so far,” asked Alex.

“Nothing,” said one of the men, “but it’s still early.”

“Right,” said Alex.

“First time,” asked the woman.

“Second,” said Kelly. “We saw some pretty good stuff a week ago but we haven’t had the time to come out here.”

“Oh yeah what kind of stuff?”

“Buffalo hunt,” Alex said.

“Now that’s something.”

“Hon,” said Alex, “show them the pictures.”

“Sure.”

Kelly went to the truck and switched USD cards that held pictures of the hunt. 

“Oh wow,” said the woman, “these are great.”

“You shoot professionally?” asked the man.

“No,” Kelly answered, “we’re just amateurs.”

“Not bad for amateurs,” said the woman.

“Thanks.”

“How far away from home are you two?” the man asked.

“A little over a thousand miles,” said Alex, “National City, California.”

The woman looked at them, “Alien capital of the world hu.”

Alex smiled, “Yeah I guess so.”

“So had to come all the way out here?”

“Yeah well we don’t get out much because of work.”

“Well it’s nice you’re able to do something like this. What is it you do?”

“I work for the FBI,” Alex answered easily.

“And I’m a psychologist in the military,” answered Kelly.

“A fed and a shrink,” the man said, “you really don’t get much time off do you.”

“No we don’t,” Alex said in agreement. “So what about you, where you all from?”

“Alaska. I’m a teacher up there.” said the woman.

“Well she is,” the man said, “I’m from San Antonio, I work as a broker. It was just one of those things, two people meet online over a common interest and then meet up for it and develop a lifelong friendship.”

“That’s pretty damn lucky,” said Alex.

The woman looked at the man. “Yeah we’ve been fortunate so far. Been doing this for a few years now.”

“Well I don’t know if we’ll be doing this for years,” said Kelly, “but for now it’s enough.”

“Good for the two of you,” the woman said genuinely.

They all passed the next couple of hours in silence. More people began showing up and even more after sun rise. No one still had yet to see a single wolf. Sometimes you were lucky, sometimes you weren’t. That’s just the way it was. There was a lot of buffalo though. They saw a couple of badgers and they even saw a couple of foxes but no wolves.  
Around noon they decided to call it a day at Lamar. They went around Mammoth and passed Golden Gate. There they found a trail that would lead them to Bunsen Peak. It was a close to five mile hike that overlooked the Gallatin Mountain Range with a view of the tallest peak in the region, Electric Peak. Various peaks could be seen as well as the Mammoth Hot Springs from the top. The terrain was grassland and the closer you got to the top the rockier it got. The view was certainly worth it. 

After coming back down from the hike they sat in the truck for a few minutes before turning on the ignition and begin their drive to Hayden Valley.

Once there they found a spot almost to where they had been the last time. This time there were throngs of people, cars parked up on every side.

“What’s going on,” Alex asked no one in particular.

“Grizzly,” said a kid as he tried to storm passed her.

Alex and Kelly managed to make their way through the crowd and found a good standing area. Out in the distance, frolicking in the river was clearly a grizzly bear thrashing about and tossing a stick in the air. He, or she, seemed to be having the time of its life. Shutters went off as quickly as the next. Alex and Kelly couldn’t contain their excitement as well. They’d seen a good share of black bears, some even with cubs, near the highways but this was their first griz so it made it that much more neat to see. Eventually people had had enough and decided that they’d had enough. Alex and Kelly were content on staying a while. They stayed until the grizzly had moved on but at Hayden the remained. They had seen the sunset in this place so it only seemed fitting to hang around. As it was the day was nearly coming to a close and the two weren’t quite ready for it to end.   
The sunset was different this time around. Instead of pinks and purples this time the sky lit up orange and various shades of pink. The colors bounced off reflectively over the river, the greenery from the rivers sides making a sweet contrast. 

Others had stopped to enjoy the sunset as well but Alex and Kelly were lost in their own world that it failed to seem like anyone else was around.

****

“They’re beautiful aren’t they,” Kelly asked later into the night when they’d gotten back to camp as she looked to the sky.

Alex took the seat next to her and looked up. “Yeah, yeah they are. It’s funny in all the time we’ve been here we haven’t really done much stargazing. We’ve come to appreciate what’s around us down here but then when we look up it’s like this whole other universe out there.”

“Which there are,” Kelly said.

“Okay let’s say for a second that we didn’t know that,” Alex said with a laugh. “Let’s just appreciate it for what it is."

"You mean the whole 'you are here’ poster that you see at aerospace museums where it shows us as total nothingness in the grandness of a world larger than the universe thing.”  
Alex smiled, “Something like that yeah.”

“Well looking up, like we’re doing now, it’s hard not to find an appreciation in that. It really puts things in perspective like no matter what we’re going through, good or bad, while that all matters if you put it into the great fold of it all we’re nothing but a speck in something greater but it still has meaning.”

Alex knew there was nothing more she could add to that so instead she took Kelly’s hand, brought it to her lips and kissed it and continued to hold it as they continued to look to the stars.

****  
[DAY 10:]

Like most days the girls got up before three. Despite their time spent in Yellowstone there still hardly seemed time to do anything so the earlier the better. 

The day was spent mostly hiking. The longest hike they’d done was eight miles but they wanted to push it more and so they decided on a twenty one mile trip. There was a trail known as the Specimen Creek Trail. To get there they had to pass Mammoth on to the 89 then to West Yellowstone then take HWY 191 and straight through where there would later be a lot of curves, get back into the park, traveling through Wyoming a bit and then back into Montana straight through again until they reached an unnamed road. 

The trip took them a little over two hours when they finally reached the hiking trail. They’d made sure to have all of their gear set since it would be a long hike. Though they’d had it on all of their hikes they made sure to have their bear spray canisters clipped to their hip. The bear spray was similar to pepper spray only a lot more potent and could spread out from roughly ten to twenty yards. It didn’t seem like much but it was enough to possibly stop the bear giving time for it to run away. 

As they made their trek there was nearly all types of terrain from wooded forests and creeks to dead lodgepole pines and meadows.

When they reached a stream they removed their socks and boots, walking barefoot into the water in order to pass it. The water felt cool against their feet. Once across they put their footwear back on and continued on. They looked out at various mountains and peaks.

Within the trees about 400 yards out Alex and Kelly came to a stop when they saw a grizzly. He was huge, about five hundred eighty pounds. Then as if knowing they were there the grizz stood up on its hind legs. Reaching up at a height of over six feet. The couple had their cameras, strapped around their necks since the start of the trip, and began taking photos. After a few shots they made sure to have their hands on their holsters incase the bear turned their way but instead all three of them went their separate ways, the bear wanting nothing to do with them.

In some areas the elevation got higher and steeper. 

Throughout their trip among the wildlife they saw were a couple of pronghorn, a few sheep, buffalo, a moose, and a couple more bears, all in different areas, one of whom had two cubs behind her.

“Wow,” Kelly said when they reached the final end of the trail. “Look at that view.”

Alex pulled out her water and took a swig. “She’s something else isn’t she? Can you believe all of this?”

“Kinda makes you not want to go home doesn’t it?”

“You’re telling me.”

Alex took Kelly under her arms, the two hugging from the side she then placed a kiss on Kelly’s head and the two enjoyed the view in silence.

The two hung around for another hour before they decided to head back. It was getting close to midafternoon which is when it was normally the best time to head back down.   
“That makes what,” Kelly said when they were finally in the car and saw a black bear near the side of the road in the woods, “five?”

“Seven,” Alex corrected, “if you count the two cubs we saw.”

“Seven bears in a single day is that even possible?”

“I sure would hope so.”

After their long drive back they still had some time to kill so they decided that since they were already in West Yellowstone they might as well take advantage of the time. They walked around the town a bit, doing the tourist thing and checking out local shops here and there. Within the town were various buffalo that were painted. 

For dinner they stopped at an establishment called ‘The Gusher’. They ordered pizza and beers. Around town was a series of painted buffalo art, many of them with Native American themed designs. One was painted white with blue animals to represent spirit animals with a dream catcher in the center of the other side. One was painted with horses. Some with lightning bolts on the face. Another had a paint of Theodore Roosevelt with a bighorn sheep to the left, an American flag to the right followed by a grizzly and some mountains. Another was painted blue with a Native American praying to a white buffalo spirit. And another was painted with a waterfall, most likely the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, and painted with other falls. 

It was the perfect end to what was a spectacular day.

*****  
[DAY 11:]

No rush in the morning. They got up around seven thirty and made their way out by eight. Today they would play it by ear. In doing so they went around Mammoth toward the direction of West Yellowstone but rather than going into the town they stayed outside it and spent time in Madison which they had yet to visit.

Passing through, they came to a halt on one of the many buffalo jams. High above on a nearby branch of a dead tree stood a bald eagle.

They finally made it to Madison. It was a simple area. They drove around the campground, which was completely full and near the river. They found a spot to pull off and stood before a great view of the small valley with river and tall mountains. It was picturesque. Clouds gave shade to some of the mountains, dark trees among dead ones, and a crystal blue river which circled an island between it. 

They stayed for a time and since they were out near West Yellowstone they figured they would drive beyond it. At one of the bookshops they had visited Kelly learned of a place called Earthquake Lake that she thought would be interesting to visit. It was a twenty seven mile drive from West. While there they learned of it’s history.

Back in 1959 a 7.3 earthquake hit the region at 11:37 pm interrupting campers nearby. It created landslides, cut off roads, crashed cars, destroyed buildings, tossed rocks and boulders over seven feet in height like they were balls on a pool table. Of the sum two hundred visitors twenty eight were killed. It became one of the worst earthquakes in history. The visitor center contained a history of the lake and the tragic events that took place that night which Alex and Kelly took their time to look at and read in detail.  
After visiting the lake they decided to head back to the park. They bypassed Old Faithful and West Thumb and headed east toward Lake Village.

They found a picnic area near Gull Point Drive. The scenery was simple but beautiful. The entire Yellowstone Lake could be seen. You could walk alongside it so that’s what Alex and Kelly decided to do. They left their gear in the truck and hand in hand they began walking along the water’s edge.

Alex looked out across the water. “It’s truly something out here isn’t it?”

“Yeah it is. It’s beautiful. Thank you, Alex.”

“For what?”

“Just for all of this. I mean I’m sure this had been planned as a solo trip but-,”

“Hey,” Alex said as she stopped and took both of Kelly’s hands, the two looking at each other through their shades. “I’m glad you’re here. It’s nice to actually have someone to share this with.”

“Not even Kara?”

Alex laughed, “not really. I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this but Kara, she has a certain fear when it comes to areas like this. She won’t show it, heck she won’t even admit it. The geysers, the steaming springs, the bubbling pools, all of it just reminds her too much of back home right before Krypton exploded.”

“She rarely talks about that.”

“Yeah well she doesn’t like to. It’s a part of her past and she can’t erase that and she tries not to let it define her but there are certain things that just trigger her and this is one of them. My sister aside, I’m happy it’s you that I’m getting to share this with, I mean that Kelly. Sure it was going to start out as a solo trip but it became something so much more. I don’t think I would have enjoyed it as much. And now that you’re here it makes it that much more fun.”

Kelly smiled and the two of them went in for a deep kiss. They didn’t care who was around. It was just them, lost in their own little world, lost in a place so deep with magic all around that nothing else mattered.

****  
[DAY 12:]

“You ready,” Alex asked as they stood at the start of the Agate Creek Trail which was within the Lamar Valley.

Kelly made sure her pack was strapped, camera around her neck, her bear spray clipped, “Let’s do this.”

During their hike they were able to see the Yellowstone River run through narrow canyon walls, landscapes of sage. In this area they saw two wolves just a hundred yards out. The two were truly amazed. It had been one thing to see nearly seven bears during one hiking trip but they never even thought they’d come across wolves. It seemed impossible but it was. The wolves paid them no mind. After a few pictures the girls traveled on. They saw more buffalo and one on the trail. There was nothing the girls could do but wait. It was about over ten minutes until the buffalo finally moved and during this time they kept an eye out for any bears that might be coming their way. Thankfully there were none.  
The buffalo now out of the way, Alex and Kelly moved on. They went through some steep conditions with gravel. Other parts were woody, steep and rocky. To reach the beach they had to go through downed trees that tested ones balance. Luckily for Alex and Kelly they had no issues with those types of spaces. 

After a while and resting for some time they headed back down the trail. They saw more buffalo and a marmot bathing on a rock. The decline wasn’t as bad. They did come across a pronghorn but other than that they saw no more wildlife. 

It was mid-afternoon when they arrived back down to the parking lot. Going through Lamar turned out to be a challenge. A yellow tour bus was in the area where a ranger was giving a talk, many of the people anxious to see a wolf as if they would appear like they did at a zoo. 

That’s what Kelly noticed, Alex too, they saw that so many of the people, so many tourists, viewed Yellowstone as a wide open zoo. Looking for animals like those people in the jeeps in the movie Jurassic Park. Expecting to see something but being disappointed when none appeared and if they did they would freak out or they’d want to get closer and take pictures. The closer they got the better the selfie but that’s how people got injured. Word got around quickly in the park whenever someone got attacked. 

Just within the past year a kid got attacked after seeing a griz with his parents. The kid freaked out and the bear charged. With kids it was different, scarier but that’s what made them different too, the more scared they got the more likely they were to run away from the danger. Adults had been attacked by bears too but seldom. And then there were the buffalo. Over a year ago a woman had gotten too close and the buffalo got angry and tossed her in the air breaking her pelvis. People treated Yellowstone like a zoo when in fact it wasn’t one. 

Rather than stick around to look and watch Alex and Kelly continued on. With what time they had left they decided to go to Canyon Village and hang around, even getting something to eat at the canyon fountain and grill which after they treated themselves with ice cream.

With the sun going down they were ready to head back to camp. They stayed up a while just looking up at the stars and the shadows of trees bouncing beneath them before calling it a night.

*****  
[DAY 13:]

Day thirteen was pretty much another rest day given that tomorrow would be there last. They had done their final hike and it had been a good one and with their final hike behind them they calculated and their miles came out to sixty five point three miles of hiking. Not bad for a two week trip.

For their next venture they made the arduous drive down to Old Faithful. It was their second to last day and they wanted to view the geyser one last time. They also took another hike up to Observation Point as they had before. The sun was in a different location casting a different set of shadows than before. This officially made their hike mileage to sixty six point four. They watched as Old Faithful erupted. It made the view that much more great since they had a different vantage point of it.

Once they got back they made their way back into the visitor center.

“You’re back,” the Ranger at the Old Faithful visitor center said  
.  
Alex and Kelly smiled, “Figured we’d catch in the geyser one last time.”

“So you headed out?” he asked.

They nodded. “Day after tomorrow,” said Kelly. “We plan on taking a rafting trip tomorrow.”

“That’ll be fun. My daughter and I did it a few years back. It was one of our fun times on our trip.”

“Sounds like you and your kid are pretty close,” said Kelly.

“We are. We used to come out here a lot together.”

“What happened,” asked Alex.

“You know same thing that always happens, kids grow up, move on, that sort of thing.”

“Yeah, we do that I guess,” Alex said with a half-hearted smile.

Kelly smiled at him, “We’re going to be sticking around here for a while but we just wanted to come in and say thanks and before you say it, don’t say you were just doing your job. You did so much more than that. You’re really good at this and with people.”

“Guess I should be thanking you for saying that.”

“Hey,” said Alex, “would you mind if we got a picture with you?”

The Ranger smiled, “Not at all.”

Kelly asked a passerby, “Do you mind?”

The passerby smiled. “Not at all.” Kelly handed him her phone. “On three. One…two…three.” He clicked the button on the phone. “Okay one more, just to make sure I got the shot right. One…two…three.” He handed the phone back to Kelly and she and Alex looked at them. “How’d they come out?”

“They’re perfect,” said Kelly. “Thanks.”

“Sure. Have a good one.”

“You too.”

The girls then turned back to the Ranger and shook his hand. “Thanks again.”

“Have a safe trip back home.”

“We will,” Alex said with a smile and the two girls walked away.

Before sunset they made their way to the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. They’d only seen it once on their trip and they were anxious to see it again before they left.   
They arrived right at sunset and managed to find a good place to stand. Other onlookers were nearby too, enjoying the view just as much. It looked very much like a Thomas Moran painting in terms of color and lighting. The only difference being the sky. The live sky was shades of orange and then drifted into shades of blue until it turned into darker shades of blue, almost black like day meeting the night. Towards the back were various shades of green due to the orange and blue lighting, the trees looking wispy as if they were painted green as a result of green little brush marks. The foreground left shadows from the rocks and trees where the lighting bounced off in some areas and shied away from others. Green trees stood dark while imbedded within various colors of brown and yellowish rock formations.

Alex stood behind Kelly, holding her by the waist and placing her head on her shoulder. 

“Hard to say goodbye to this place isn’t it,” Alex said.

“Yeah. It’s too bad we can’t stay another week.”

“Well why don’t we?”

“Alex, come on.”

“Come on what, let’s just stay. Let’s leave our jobs and just ride off into the sunset. I mean look at this, look at all of this. How could we say no to sunsets like this?”

“Okay now I can’t tell if you’re joking or if you’re being serious.”

“I don’t know maybe a little bit of both. You’re right, I’d love to stay but we can’t. It sucks being a responsible adult.”

“Well hey, at least we know this place will always be here, right. We can always come back.”

“Someday.”

“Yeah someday. For now, let’s just enjoy this.”

“It is beautiful but you know what, so are you.”

Kelly closed her eyes and smiled. She was so lucky to be here with Alex. Sure they’d been going out for a while but she hadn’t even thought of going on an actual trip with her, well okay she had thought about it but when Alex mentioned a trip to Yellowstone she hadn’t thought she meant with her so when Alex invited her she was skeptical, nervous, and elated. When Alex told her she was serious it was then she realized, though she’d already known, just how serious their relationship was. It wasn’t just two friends or two girlfriends going on a road trip, it was something more than that, something intimate. Their relationship had started off as a slow burn but for it to reach the stage of a road trip, well it was crazy at just how quickly the time had flown by. To be in one of the most stunning places on the planet with Alex, well nothing could describe it and she didn’t want to describe it. She wanted to be and she wanted to be with Alex. 

*****  
[DAY 14:]

The morning of their final day Alex and Kelly went up to Gardiner where they got with the Whitewater Rafting Paradise Adventure Co. and secured an all day trip on the river of eighteen miles on the Yellowstone river making for five hours or so with a check in time nine thirty in the morning and then loading at ten. When boarding Alex took the front right and Kelly took the middle left. They were all geared up from wetsuits to helmets to life jackets. The raft amounted to ten to twelve people. Most of it was white water but then it would steady out. 

“That was,” Alex said once the trip was over at three in the afternoon, “amazing!”

“Wasn’t it!” said Kelly. “It was such a rush and the views, oh my god!”

“If we had more time I wouldn’t mind going again.”

Kelly shrugged, “well there’s always next time.”

“Yeah,” Alex said with a smile, “next time.”

****  
It didn’t take them long to get back into Mammoth. They stayed one more hour, walking the boardwalk along the terraces one last time and walking into the visitor’s center. This would be there final time and they wanted to enjoy it. Alex and Kelly returned to their campsite around five thirty. Most everything was already packed up and ready to go but they made sure to check things over. All that was left were the tent, sleeping bags and lantern. They sat at the picnic table with a beer in hand.

“You girls headed out,” said a passerby, one who had been their neighbor for the past few days.

“Yeah, yeah we are,” said Alex.

“Well be safe,” she said to them. “And try not to get into trouble back in National City.”

“It’s kind of hard not to,” Kelly said halfheartedly.

“I suppose not. Well safe travels then.”

Alex smiled and nodded with her beer in hand. “Enjoy the rest of your stay.”

She smiled at the two of them and went on her way.

*****  
“Alex,” Kelly said later that night in the tent, “this trip has really been something else. It’s opened my eyes to new wonders, it’s felt freeing and it’s been amazing just to be here with you.”

Alex smiled, “Ditto.”

Kelly smiled back at the use of the word. It was becoming a little thing with them, a word they could call their own. A word that had come to mean so much.

“Okay so top three things from this trip,” Alex said.

“Just three?” Kelly and Alex smiled, “okay. One our first sunset down in Hayden Valley, our small hike to see the Grand Prismatic Spring. I mean I know everyone probably has the same view and even the same pictures but it still was incredible to see, and third the buffalo hunt we saw in Lamar with the wolves.”

“Good ones.”

“Your turn.”

“Definitely our stargazing. It was simple but it was perfect. Let’s see what else. Oh I know, our hike on the Specimen Creek trail when we saw all of those bears and third would be the sunset at the Lower FallsThe way the sun danced off the canyon was beautiful and the way it traversed towards the background.”

“We’ve seen quite a few sunsets haven’t we?”

“Yeah we have. I’m glad, it makes it that more special doesn’t it especially since we don’t have sunsets like that back home. It makes you feel free and more than yourself.”

“I know what you mean. It’s just one of those places that makes you think about the greatness of things that go beyond all understanding.”

“Exactly.”

Alex leaned in as did Kelly, their lips meeting.

When they pulled apart Alex said, “I’m glad you came.”

“Me too. ‘Night, Alex.”

“’Night Kell.”

And with that Alex turned out the light. 

*****  
The following morning they would pack up their tent, the last of their belongings, pull some water and pop tarts from the back and make their thousand plus mile way home.   
The trip had been more special than either of them could have dreamed. Yellowstone had that effect on people. It was nature’s own Disneyland, truly the happiest place on earth. Every day she put on a show from the geysers to the falls to the rivers to the animals themselves. Everything played a part in each other’s survival and came together as a whole. It sounded cheesy but it truly was a circle of life

“Oh yeah, let’s do this,” Alex said as she put on her shades and Kelly set up the music that would take their journey home. 

“Hard Sun” by Eddie Vedder from the Into the Wild soundtrack began to play as they made their way out towards the west entrance.

‘When I walk beside her I am the better man. When I look to leave her I always stagger back again. Once I built an ivory tower so I could worship from up above. When I climbed down to be set free she took me in again. There’s a big, a big hard sun. Beating on the big people in the big hard world…’


	2. The Days Cliffnotes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a compilation of the days and how they were spent.

Day 1:

-Tower Falls

Day 2:

-Petrified Tree  
-Mammoth

Day 3: 

-Lamar Valley, wolf watching  
-Hike Mt. Washburn  
-Canyon Village  
-Upper/Lower Falls  
-Hayden Valley, sunset

wildlife- wolves, buffalo hunt, bighorn sheep

Day 4: 

-Sulphur Caldron, Dragon's Mouth  
-Lake Village  
-West Thumb  
-Craig Pass/Continential Divide  
-Lonestar Geyser

Day 5: 

-Old Faithful  
-Observation Point

wildlife- buffalo

Day 6: 

-Mammoth  
-Lava Creek Trail  
-Gardiner  
-Roosevelt Arch

wildlife- elk

Day 7:

-Norris  
-Norris Geyser Basin  
-Steamboat Geyser, Echinus Geyser  
-Emeral Spring  
-Arist Paint Pots  
-Monument Geyser Basin  
-Virginia Cascades  
-Canyon Village, Native American talk

Day 8: 

-Sheep Eater Cliff  
-Grand Prismatic Spring  
-Fairy Falls  
-Old Faithful, sunset

wildlife- buffalo, two black bears, marmots, squirrels

Day 9:

-Lamar Valley, wolf watching  
-Bunsen Peak Trail  
-Hayden Valley, sunset  
-Tower CG, stargazzing

wildlife- grizzly bear

Day 10:

-Specimen Creek Trail  
-West Yellowstone

wildlife: grizzly, pronghorn, sheep, buffalo heard w/calves, moose, four grizzly, black bear w/two cubs, 1 black bear. 7 bears total

Day 11:

-Madison  
-West Yellowstone  
-Earthquake Lake  
-Gull point Dr. Walk YS lake

wildlife- bald eagle, buffalo

Day 12:

-Agate Creek Trail  
-Canyon Village  
-Camp, stargazzing

wildlife- 2 wolves, buffalo, marmot, pronghorn

Day 13: 

-Old Faithful  
-Observation Point  
-Old Faithful Erruption   
-Visitors Center  
-Grand Canyon of Yellowstone

Day 14:

-Gardiner  
-White Water Rafting, 18 mi.  
-Mammoth

**Author's Note:**

> Contributions:
> 
> This story was written based on a few of my experiences in Yellowstone. Google maps was used for the roadways. Much of the detail was based off the main the NPS website where I was able to find the full map of the park. The hikes were from a Yellowstone hiking trail website.
> 
> The album from "Into the Wild" was based on personal preference. I read the book long before it became a movie. So when the movie came out I was hooked and the music was mystical. Ever since the movie the soundtrack by Eddie Vedder has become my travel music. Anywhere I go, when I head out of town, I make sure to put it on.
> 
> The Ranger is based solely on my dad. He's a park ranger up there for the entire summer. He has Native American roots, with a DNA percentage of 45% (mine is 50%) so he tends to wear his hair long. I thought it would be fun to have Alex and Kelly within this trip to interact with someone crucial to the park. I didn't want the ranger to just be any ranger so I made him recognizable. 
> 
> So I guess that's the end. What a great trip it's been!


End file.
